I have a front lower tooth that died and got infected back in 1992. I had a root canal on it and that was that. I kind of remember the tooth still bothering me right after the root canal, but the dentist basically told me I was imagining it.
Anyhow, years later I would get dental checkups and the xrays would show what could be a bit of infection at the bottom of the root of that root canalled tooth. The dentist asked me if I was bothered by that tooth, but I wasn't.
Fast forward to last night, I felt a lot of pain in the area of that tooth and now in my chin, the same chin pain I remember when the tooth died.
The pain comes and goes, but I am really concerned.
What will they do? Re-open the tooth some how and clean it out? Or do the have to cut into the jaw bone to remove the infection?
Why would it take 14 years to go bad like this?
Could I be lucky and this will all just go away?

Hmm...I have something similar though so far it hasn't given me any problem. About 6 years ago I had a root canal job done, and during the treatment the pain was incredible and I was on antibiotics for the infection. I never went back to that dentist cause I wasn't happy with what he'd done. Fast forward a year, and I joined a new dental practice and had some x-rays done. My new dentist said the root canal wasn't done properly and if it ever caused me any problems I would either need to have the whole thing done again or have the tooth extracted. That was 5 years ago and haven't had any problems yet.

This year when going for a consulation about my wisdom teeth, the surgeon also noticed on the x-ray the root canal and said it wasn't done properly. He said he could see infection on the x-ray. I told him the x-ray was 5 years old and I hadn't had any trouble since then. He told me to ask my dentist to keep a check on it.

I guess if I ever do get pain I will either have it redone or extracted, but I pray that doesn't happen.

So basically what I'm saying is that I think an old root canal that wasn't done properly could give you trouble. I think worst case scenario would be extraction, but maybe a course of antibiotics will clear it up. I'd go to the dentist and get it checked out.

I had to have a root canal re-done several years later due to an infection at the tip of the root - right near my sinus too- it explained why the side of my nose hurt. Its not as bad the 2nd time around. Didn't hurt really. But I went to an endodontist the 2nd time since the dr who did it initially was a regular dentist. I needed 2 more root canals on other teeth after that but went to the endodonitst for them as well and haven't had any problems with them.